Sargent Park & Fountain is one of our favorites, with a natural playscape. There is a paved trail nearby for hiking, and lots to look at in the river. There is a sandpit, so bring shovels! There is easy creek splashing access here, you can see more specific details about how to get into the water in this post.

Western Gateway Park is a large open greenspace downtown, including the sculpture garden, a long pool/fountain called the Runnel Water Feature, and chess garden. It’s a great place to take kids to run around and burn off steam or dip feet to cool off.